Lionel Messi's Viral Moment at the White House with Donald Trump
Messi's Reaction to Trump's Remarks
During a recent event at the White House, Lionel Messi became the center of attention after US President Donald Trump mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo in his speech. The occasion celebrated Inter Miami's victory in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup. Trump shared that his son, Barron, is a huge fan of Messi, while also praising Ronaldo. As Trump spoke, Messi maintained a smile, absorbing the moment.
āItās my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: āWelcome to the White House, Lionel Messi,āā Trump remarked. He recounted a conversation with Barron, who excitedly asked about Messi's presence. Trump added, āHe thinks youāre just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So heās a big soccer fan, but heās a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. Youāre great,ā he concluded.
Donald Trump: "Lionel Messi is here"My son said: 'DAD, DO YOU KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE HERE TODAY?'I told him: 'No, I have a lot of things to do...'"Look at Messiās reaction when Trump said Ronaldoš pic.twitter.com/9Wxh2stcmd
ā Miss ADELš¦š¦š¹ (@a_derll) March 5, 2026
Trump's Praise for Messi
Trump Declares Messi Greater Than Pele
The event was graced by several notable figures, including Luis Suarez, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Andrew Giuliani, and retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez. During the gathering, Trump expressed his admiration for Messi, suggesting he might surpass the legendary Pele. āI shouldnāt say this because Iām old, but I watched Pele play. I donāt know, you may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good,ā Trump stated.
He also expressed gratitude to Messi for choosing Miami as his new club, saying, āYou could have gone anywhere in the world, any team in the world, and you chose Miami. I just want to thank you for bringing us all on this ride.ā This marks the first occasion during Trumpās presidency that an MLS team has been invited to the White House. Previously, Trump hosted Cristiano Ronaldo in November 2025, alongside Mohammad Bin Salman, the leader of Saudi Arabia. āMy son is a big fan of Ronaldo. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you,ā Trump added.